Cistern outlet valve mounting bracket assembly and a method of installing an outlet valve in a cistern

ABSTRACT

A cistern outlet valve mounting bracket assembly ( 10 ). The assembly includes first and second bracket members ( 12, 14 ) adapted for positioning about an outlet valve ( 20 ) in engagement with each other and the valve ( 20 ). The members ( 12, 14 ) also have means ( 28, 32 ) to allow fixing of the engaged members ( 12, 14 ) to a cistern ( 38 ). A method of installing an outlet valve ( 20 ) in a cistern ( 38 ) is also disclosed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cistern outlet valve mounting bracketassembly and a method of installing an outlet valve in a cistern. Acistern is known as a flush tank in the United States of America.

The invention has been primarily developed for mounting outlet valves inone piece toilet suites (ie. suites that that have an integral cisternand pan) and will be described hereinafter with reference to thisapplication. However, it would be appreciated that the invention is notlimited to this particular use and, for example, can also be used inmounting an outlet valve in a separate cistern.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Outlet valves must be installed in cisterns in such a manner as to allowtheir removal for service and repair. In a toilet suite that has aseparate cistern and pan, the outlet valve has a threaded tail whichpasses through an opening in the bottom of the cistern and is fastenedthereto by an external nut. A seal is placed in the potential leak pathbetween the cistern interior and the valve. When the nut is unscrewedfrom the tail, the outlet valve can be removed from the cistern.

In a one piece toilet suite the underside of the cistern is concealed bya shroud that extends from the cistern to the pan. The shroud makesaccess to the underside of the cistern very difficult, particularlyafter the suite has been grouted to a bathroom floor.

One known arrangement which avoids having to access the underside of thecistern to remove the outlet valve uses the previously described nut toinstead clamp a stainless steel mounting plate to the valve tail, with aseal therebetween. A second seal is then placed on the underside of themounting plate. The mounting plate, and thus the outlet valve, is thenfixed to the cistern via two captive bolts in the base of the cisternthat pass through holes in the mounting plate.

This known arrangement has several disadvantages. Firstly, an additionalpotential leak path is introduced at the second seal between themounting plate and the cistern. Secondly, the stainless steel plate isexpensive to manufacture and time consuming to install. Thirdly, theaddition of the mounting plate and the second seal increases the overallheight of the outlet valve, which can limit the range of cisterns towhich it may be fitted.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or atleast ameliorate one or more of the above prior art disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a cisternoutlet valve mounting bracket assembly, said assembly including firstand second bracket members adapted for positioning about an outlet valvein engagement with each other and the valve, said members having meansto allow fixing of said engaged members to a cistern.

The members preferably each include a semi-circular recess, each adaptedto receive a portion of the outlet valve therein. The recessespreferably have teeth adapted to engage with corresponding openings inthe outlet valve.

The members preferably engage at one or more regions, most preferablytwo, also having said means to allow fixing. Said means to allow fixingare desirably one or more openings in the assembled members that areeach adapted to receive a fixing shaft therethrough. In a preferredfrom, the openings comprise a pair of shaft portions in the first memberand a corresponding pair of apertures in the second member, the secondmember having barbs adapted to engage with the first member. The barbsare preferably adapted to engage with the first member substantiallyadjacent the shaft portions.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method ofinstalling an outlet valve in a cistern, said method includingpositioning first and second bracket members about the outlet valve andin engagement with each other and the outlet valve and then fixing saidengaged members to said cistern.

The members are preferably fixed to the cistern with one or more fixingshafts that pass through corresponding openings in the engaged members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described, by wayof example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cistern outlet valvemounting bracket assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1prior to engagement with a cistern outlet valve;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 partiallyengaged with a cistern outlet valve;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 afterengagement with an outlet valve; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembly and valve shown in FIG. 4installed within a cistern.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring firstly to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a cisternoutlet valve mounting bracket assembly 10 according to the invention.The assembly 10 includes first and second moulded, glass-filled nylonbracket members 12 and 14. The members 12, 14 each include a semicircular recess 16, 18 respectively which are each adapted to receive aportion of a substantially cylindrical outlet valve 20 therein. Thevalve 20 has a tail 22. The recesses 16, 18 include teeth 24 which areadapted to engage with corresponding openings 26 (as best seen in FIG.2) in the valve 20.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the first member 12 includes two shaft portions28 and recesses 30. The second member 14 includes a two correspondingapertures 32 and barbs 34. When the members 12,14 are brought together(see FIG. 4) about the valve 20, the barbs 34 engage with the recesses30 in a position in which the apertures 32 align with the shaft portions28 and the teeth 24 enter the openings 26.

The installation of the assembly 10 shall now be described. FIGS. 2, 3and 4 show sequentially how the members 12 and 14 are brought intoengagement with one another about the outlet valve 20 until theyultimately engage each other, and also the outlet valve 20, to form thevalve/assembly 36. FIG. 5 shows the valve/assembly 36 installed within acistern 38 by passing the tail 22 of the valve 20 through an opening(not shown) in the base of the cistern 38 whilst passing theopenings/apertures 28/30 over a correspondingly positioned pair ofcaptive bolts (not shown). The assembly/valve 36 is fixed to the cistern38 by fastening a pair of wingnuts 40 to the bolts.

A seal (not shown) is positioned between the adjacent surfaces of theinterior of the cistern 38 and the exterior of the valve/assembly 36.

It should be noted that the installation in FIG. 5 is shown in relationto a separate cistern for ease of description only. The preferred use ofthe outlet valve mounting bracket assembly is in mounting an outletvalve to a cistern forming part of a one piece toilet suite.

The assembly described above has several advantages over the prior artarrangements. Firstly, the installation of the assembly and the valvedescribed results in only one potential leak path between theassembly/valve and the cistern. Secondly, the assembly may beinexpensively manufactured by injection moulding in a thermoplasticmaterial, and can be quickly and easily installed into engagement withthe outlet valve. Thirdly, the assembly can be used with an outlet valvewhich is also suitable for use in a toilet suite having a separatecistern and pan, thereby reducing production and inventory costs.Fourthly, the bracket enables an outlet valve to be fixed to the cisternin a manner allowing easy removal without requiring a nut on the(inaccessible) tail of the outlet valve.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a specificexample, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that theinvention may be embodied in many other forms.

1. A cistern outlet valve mounting bracket assembly, said assemblyincluding first and second bracket members adapted for positioning aboutan outlet valve in engagement with each other and the valve, saidmembers having means to allow fixing of said engaged members to acistern.
 2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the members eachinclude a semi-circular recess, each adapted to receive a portion of theoutlet valve therein.
 3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein therecesses have teeth adapted to engage with corresponding openings in theoutlet valve.
 4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the membersengage at one or more regions also having said means to allow fixing. 5.The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the members engage at twosaid regions.
 6. The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said meansto allow fixing are one or more openings in the assembled members thatare each adapted to receive a fixing shaft therethrough.
 7. The assemblyas claimed in claim 6, wherein the openings comprise a pair of shaftportions in the first member and a corresponding pair of apertures inthe second member, the second member having barbs adapted to engage withthe first member.
 8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein thebarbs are adapted to engage with the first member substantially adjacentthe shaft portions.
 9. A method of installing an outlet valve in acistern, said method including positioning first and second bracketmembers about the outlet valve and in engagement with each other and theoutlet valve and then fixing said engaged members to said cistern. 10.The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the members are fixed to thecistern with one or more fixing shafts that pass through correspondingopenings in the engaged members.
 11. (canceled)
 12. (canceled)